Fire Ants await their opponent

USC Sumter knows its first game in the NJCAA World Series will be at 5 p.m. Saturday (3 p.m. local time) at Sam Suplizio Field in Grand Junction, Colo.

What coach Tim Medlin's team doesn't know is its opponent. That will be determined Monday, when Iowa Western and Kaskaskia play for the Northern District championship in Centralia, Ill.

Iowa Western was the 2014 champion and has won three of the last five titles. It is bidding for its 16th World Series trip. One of its top players is USC commitment Dom Thompson-Williams.

Kaskaskia's only appearance to date was in 2013.

USC Sumter won three of four games in the Eastern District Tournament to improve to 43-19 this season.

Eight of the 10 spots in the eight-day, double-elimination event have been filled, some by some very familiar names on the junior college scene.

* San Jacinto (Texas) is making its 20th appearance. Its five national titles came the a six-year span of 1985-90.

* Yavapai (Ariz.) is making its eighth trip, with championships coming in 1975, 1977 and 1993.

* McClennan (Texas) is making its fifth appearance but first since 1983, when it won the title in its fourth consecutive World Series appearance.

* Walters State (Tenn.),  a frequent non-region opponent of Spartanburg Methodist, is in the tournament for the seventh time. The Senators won the title in 2006.

* Dodge City (Kan.)  is making its second appearance, but first since 1958.

* Chattahoochee Valley (Ala.) is making its second straight appearance after making its debut last season. University of South Carolina reserve catcher Jared Martin played in last year's event.

* Northwest Florida State is making its first trip to Grand Junction.

The South Central District Tournament began Sunday. Seminole State (Okla.) is host for the three-team event, with St. Louis CC and Delgado  CC (La.) also competing. Delgado beat St. Louis, 9-1, and St. Louis beat Seminole, 3-2, on Sunday. The event continues through Tuesday.

Seminole State has made 15 World Series trips. Delgado has been three times, including last season. St. Louis has been 10 times.

NJCAA bracket 

* Meanwhile, Catawba Valley CC, a Hickory, N.C. school which competes in NJCAA Region 10 as a Division II team, has qualified for the NJCAA Division II World Series May 23-30 in Enid, Okla. Catawba Valley went 1-2 against USC Sumter, 1-3 vs. Spartanburg Methodist and 2-2 vs. USC Lancaster.